Nada no Kenka Matsuri 2026 (Fighting Festival)
Three portable shrines are violently crashed together as seven ornate floats clash in Japan's most famous 'fighting festival.'
When · Where
- When
- 2026/10/14 01:00 – 2026/10/15
- Where
- Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, Shirahama-cho, Himeji, Hyogo（399 Shirahama-cho Ko, Himeji, Hyogo）
- City
- Across Japan
- Getting there
- 3–5 min walk from Shirahamanomiya Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway.
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Matsubara Hachiman Shrine Festival Association
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- 3–5 min walk from Shirahamanomiya Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, groups of friends
Highlights
- Three mikoshi smashed together
- Seven gorgeous district yatai floats
- Oct 14 procession, Oct 15 clashing climax
Background & story
The centuries-old autumn grand festival of Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, the largest and most famous of Japan's kenka (fighting) festivals.
Good to know
The mikoshi-clashing climax is on Oct 15 from late morning — arrive very early for a viewing spot.